From sand to spectacle: Galveston's annual sandcastle festival    

On Galveston Island there are a number of events that go on throughout the year. One that perfectly captures the beach vibes being the Annual Sandcastle Festival on September 21 and 22.

Whether you're a sand castle enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to spend your afternoon, this festival is a great event to mark on your calendar for next year. Ranging from food, live music, and of course intricately designed sand castles, this event has it all. 

The competition lasts two days; with a flat fee of $10 to attend both days not including possible parking fees. 

The first day consisted of the building, judging, and award ceremony for the winning sand castles. The teams competing spend all day constructing their creative and intricate sculptures.

Starting at 10 a.m. the event lasts until 5 p.m. Around 4 p.m., they begin the judging and shortly after announced the winners, so it’s over by dinner time!

This year’s first place “Golden Bucket” winner in the traditional castle category was an “Architect’s Insane Asylum” created by Ziegler Cooper working alongside Paradigm Construction. 

There were also a number of other awards. Such as best team signage given to “MAD Garden Par Tea” or best team T-shirt given to “Sticking with Tradition” to name a couple.

The second day is usually dedicated as a “viewing day” where anyone can come by to look at all of the sculptures. 

Something worth noting; the festival isn’t the most wheelchair or stroller friendly seeing as its on loose sand, so take that into account if you’re considering attending or even competing next year.

Since 1986 this festival has been a local favorite, so it’s a great thing to mark on your calendar for 2025 to have some great family fun!